Uruguay is home to 3.5 million people, with over half living in Montevideo. They have the most World Cup Championships (per person), and beautiful beaches where we spent the holidays along the Uruguay coast.
Best Thing I Ate This Week
The Chivito is a beloved sandwich that is rumored to have been created in Punta del Este when someone asked for baby goat (chivito) at a local restaurant. The owner didn’t have any, but, not wanting to disappoint, promised to make something special. They proceeded to make a monstrous sandwich with steak, ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, egg, olives, and mayonnaise.
Today, chivitos can be found all over Uruguay. Many serve the full version of the sandwich described above (Canadiense). Others serving an abbreviated version (Común). There are also variations of the sandwich that include chicken instead of steak. Many restaurants serve the toppings over french fries for two (al plato para dos) instead of on bread.
Chivito Canadiense at Bar Arocena
While in the home of the Chivito, Punta del Este, I tried a Chivito Canadiense at Bar Arocena. It is an outpost of the famous location in Carrasco conveniently located near Playa Brava and Playa Mansa. The sandwich was delicious but so filling, and a great option after a big day of activity.
Chivito Común Expreso Pocitos
My favorite chivito común was at Expreso Pocitos in the capital city of Montevideo. The restaurant is a neighborhood diner located down the street from Playa Pocitos in a nice residential neighborhood. It was the perfect quantity of food for a quick lunch and left me wanting to return for more in the future.
An Interesting Fact I Learned
Uruguay - Independent from Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil
Uruguay is strategically positioned along the Río de la Plata, a main waterway to the center of the continent that some consider the widest river in the world. In the 1600s, Portugal established a settlement named Colonia del Sacramento. Spain created a competing town nearby named Montevideo to try to control the lucrative trade route. There was frequent conflict between the two countries from the 1600s to the 1800s in the region.
In 1811, Jose Artigas successfully overthrew the Spanish and then the United Forces of Rio de Plata (modern Argentina) in Montevideo. A few years later, a Portuguese force from Brazil retook the land. In 1822, when Brazil became independent, Uruguay was part of that country.
Not long after, in 1825 the 33 Orientales (Uruguayan leaders) declared independence from Brazil and were backed by the United Forces of Rio de Plata. A conflict broke out, and, in 1828, the United Kingdom stepped in. To stop the fighting, they declared Uruguay an independent country that would not be part of Brazil or Argentina.
Today, Uruguay (La República Oriental del Uruguay) is highly ranked in democracy, economic freedom, GDP growth, and inclusion. It has low corruption and ranks near the bottom of terrorism risks. It is no wonder Montevideo made the New York Times list of places to visit in 2024.
My Travel Tip of the Week
Use local transit applications for the best information
Uruguay has an extensive bus system, but, on initial searches using Google Maps, many of the routes do not show up between destinations. This led us to consider renting a car because we were worried about being able to travel to a handful of destinations along the coast.
Luckily we found a website for the main transit hub Tres Cruces Terminal in Montevideo, which shows the schedule of all bus companies between the routes of your choosing. Since all major roads in the country lead to Montevideo, it is possible to travel to most destinations by connecting through this bus station.
Another website that is helpful for reviewing bus options is Urubus, which even allows for booking from the search results. If a bus does not allow purchases online, you can email the companies or send them a message on WhatsApp. They are able to assist with reserving your place, and you can pay in-person at the bus terminals in the station.
Both of the options above are great for longer bus travel, but cities such as Punta del Este and Montevideo have their own local systems. Moovit is a great app that will show all of the local bus routes and functions similar to Google Maps. You put in your destination and it will tell you the options based on the time of your search, allowing for a local way to explore the cities. You can learn more about transportation through Uruguay here.
My Additional Anecdote This Week
Holidays are special when spending it with your loved ones
Over the New Years holiday, my parents visited Uruguay, and, in turn, received their first passport stamp. Although it may not have been their top choice of a vacation destination, we were excited to show them around and were thankful to have family with us to ring in the new year.
Even though their flight was delayed over 12 hours, by the time they finally arrived there was still lots of excitement as we stayed up late into the night catching-up. Most of the trip was centered around spending time together with a healthy dose of good dining and tourist attractions.
On New Year’s Eve we did not plan anything other than a day on Playa Brava. The weather could not have been better, and the beach was filled with others enjoying the beautiful day. Rather than go out for dinner, we cooked a meal at the apartment and sampled a handful of local beverages. At midnight we joined all of our neighbors out on balconies and watched the fireworks exploding around Punta del Este. What would have been a nice holiday was made extra special by having my parents there to celebrate with us and am grateful for this wonderful memory together.